Bacteriological analysis of water quality in a recreational park pond in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Bacteriological analysis of a Recreational Park Pond in Port Harcourt was investigated to evaluate the water quality of the pond for recreational purposes. Samples collected from the pond were evaluated for physiochemical and bacteriological study. pH showed a slight alkaline range of 6.66 − 6.94 in sample A and D with a temperature range of 28.6 − 29^oC. Samples evaluated for turbidity and salinity showed values of 0.309 − 0.784 NTU and 0.10ppt to 0.32ppt respectively. Similar bacteriological load ranging from 6.9 × 10⁵cfu/ml − 2.1 × 10⁶cfu/ml was observed, with coliform counts ranging from 3.4 × 105 − 1.3×10⁶cfu/ml. Thirteen different bacterial genera were identified in total (Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Proteus spp., Citrobacter spp., Klebsiella spp, Bacillus spp., Serratia spp., Pseudomonas spp., Vibrio spp., Enterobacter spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., and Staphylococcus spp). Escherichia coli was the most commonly occurring group (14.7%) and Staphylococcus sp the least occurring (2.9%). Varying levels of resistance was noted against the 14 antibiotics tested, with the highest resistance noted against pefloxacin (55.9%)  while the lowest resistance was against erythromycin (2.9%). Majority of isolates (67.7%) however had MAR index values less than 0.21, indicative of a source related to low antibiotic use. Despite the association of potentially pathogenic bacteria with this water body, the low level of drug resistance associated with these organisms as well as the MAR index values, could point at these being environmental rather than human strains. Further molecular studies would be advised to confirm this.

Keywords: Bacteriological analysis, recreational water, antibiotic resistance, pefloxacin